Skoda Kodiaq Diesel Preheating Issue

Sounds familiar. I had a similar issue with my old Volvo. Preheating lamp staying on, engine light, the works. Have you checked the fuses related to the car electronics and the heating module? Could be a simple fix.

Fuses were the first thing I checked, all seem fine. Is there anything specific I should be looking for regarding cable connections? I've wiggled a few, but no luck so far. Was your issue also intermittent?

Yeah, mine was intermittent too. It drove me nuts. Honestly, chasing electrical gremlins can be a nightmare. Given the symptoms and what you've already checked, and the smoke, I'd say get it to a workshop. Could save you a lot of time and frustration.

Just to let you know, I took it to the workshop as suggested. It was the preheating control unit, or vehicle heater module. They thought it was a defective part or a bad connection, and it turned out to be the latter, like I initially thought. A loose plug connection on the component was the cause. 95€ later, it's all sorted. Thanks again for the insight!